Harry Winks was greeted with a mixed response after making his first Leicester City appearance since November.
The former Tottenham midfielder was introduced as a first half substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 Championship defeat at home to Charlton.
4
Harry Winks was back in first-team action for Leicester on SaturdayCredit: Getty
The Foxes were forced into an early change when defender Caleb Okoli was given his marching orders after just 15 minutes.
Winks was brought on by interim head coach Andy King in place of Hamza Choudhury for his first appearance since the 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United on November 29.
Mixed reception
Winks, the EFL’s highest paid player, was greeted by a mixture of boos and applause by the King Power Stadium as he made his entrance to the pitch.
And he could do little to prevent his side going in at half time 2-0 down thanks to goals from Charlton duo Sonny Carey and Lyndon Dykes.
Read more on football
Winks’ popularity has dropped among Leicester supporters in the past 12 months following a series of incidents.
After a 2-1 defeat at Preston in August, Winks was seen walking down the tunnel as other players stopped to applaud the travelling fans.
That sparked tensions between some sections of the club’s support and the midfielder who struggled to find his feet under former boss Marti Cifuentes.
Winks was hauled off at half time by Cifuentes in November’s defeat at home to Sheffield United and is understood to have clashed with staff and players in training in the days that followed, leading to a two-month absence from first-team duties.
However, the appointment of Andy King as interim boss last weekend has opened the door to his return as Leicester look to accumulate as many points as possible ahead of a looming points deduction for PSR breaches.
A chequered spell
Winks joined Leicester at the start of the 2023/24 season and helped the Foxes achieve promotion back to the Premier League under Enzo Maresca.
4
Winks flourished under ex-Leicester boss Enzo MarescaCredit: Getty
But his time at the club has been blighted by high-profile fallouts with managers and colleagues.
Last season, Winks clashed with ex-Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy after the midfielder refused to comply with the Dutchman’s rule of players staying at the training ground before games.
Winks, who had recently become a father, preferred to commit to a 100-mile commute on matchdays, leading to accusations of indiscipline leveled against him.
He was subsequently exiled from the squad for nine matches.
The 29-year-old has six months left on his contract which is worth a reported £90,000 a week at cash-strapped Leicester.
The Foxes have been left crippled by the Premier League-style wages within their squad as they languish in the bottom half of the Championship with a play-off push unlikely to materialise.
Read More on talkSPORT
4
Harry Winks’ last appearance came against Sheffield United in NovemberCredit: Getty
4
He was understood to have clashed with staff in training the following weekCredit: Getty
However, financial pressure could ease in the months to come with high earner Patson Daka set to leave at the end of his contract this summer.
Meanwhile, Wout Faes recently completed a loan switch to Monaco with an option to buy this summer and Boubakary Soumare secured a permanent transfer to Qatari side Al-Duhail SC.